i spent three years to and fro, with about 2-3 months in vietnam on every trip. What is the life expectancy of a Vietnam veteran? To my understanding, Army aviation unitsAssault Companies, Cav Troops, ARA units etc., had the highest casualty rates of any TO & E unit in Vietnam. If you fired a weapon in defense, outside the wire,, and your boots were on the ground in VN you are a COMBAT vet. he and the other gentleman did not seem to know about each other , but they ended up speaking about the tours in country, both had served some time at dong ha. that conversation has stayed with me. Thank you for being there to help us when called. This battle resulted in the loss of 13 Marines (10 in combat, 3 were left behind and executed by the Khmer Rouge, 2 Navy Corpsmen, and 3 Air Force pilots. I flew several hundred sorties in a gunship. Infantry Division. As a Combat Infantry Veteran those who allow people to assume that they experienced actual combat because they refer to themselves as a Vietnam Vet. These numbers have come about due to the extensive research of various mortality indexes and sources by the American War Library which concluded that about one-third of those who served in the Vietnam War are still alive today. Not sure what to think about the article. Having spent a year all over Thailand in support of Communist Suppression Operations Center along the Laotian border, and training Thai infantry to deploy in RVN. (52. years later) All with the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Air Borne Division. Is It Hard To Get Into Kent State University? Interesting and certainly thought-provoking. So, when we talk about Vietnam vets who are living or dead, we should be talking STRICTLY about Vets who participated in the Vietnam War. According to the Department of Defense, infantry soldiers had the highest casualties during the Vietnam War, making infantry the deadliest job in Vietnam. Antonia is a gifted educator, and she is widely respected within the education community. That was our regimen along the Cambodian border, too. in any event, i went as soon as i was contacted by the draft board. As you did not disclose what position you did or did not fill in Vietnam, or did not set foot in Vietnam, I will assume you are not a combat veteran, maybe not a Vietnam Veteran either. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. back and forth to the us, carrying every thing you could imagine. Got home after the war, never spoke about my service, never went hunting again, never cut my feeling back on! There are 500,000 Korean War veterans still living, but about 600 of those die every day, according to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation. Id like to know what the 1 in 14 men figure is based on. Was an Armored Cav Platoon leader Nov 67-Mar 68 Lost 4 APCS 4 men in my platoon KIA 12 wounded I think I was in a little combat . Combat Vets and Non Combat Vets. They are a ten (10), they fought alongside the infantry defending the perimeter. I always felt this was the maximal danger of the trip. We got a personal visit from 10 Generals (no joke). Fact: Everyone who served during the Vietnam War are classified as Vietnam Era Vets. Excellent questions. I was on merchant ships for three years in viet nam. ago. Eight Vietnam Veterans Die every day. Please do all you can to inform our fellow vets that the VA presumes Agent Orange exposure if you were in-country. 1st cav div. Perhaps the reason for guys is that there were times we had to drink out of bomb craters that were in areas sprayed with Agent Orange. Bullets were flying everywhere, and the noise was tremendous. There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the specific situation and the individual's age, health, and military experience. Though Thailand was not designated a combat zone. 499 days, and 10 days in Sydney, Australia !!!!! The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). The thing is the question/topic here is not how many Vietnam combat veterans are there, or how many Vietnam Era veterans are there; its how many Vietnam veterans are there. scipione@geneseo.edu A few people were killed. Waiting for a slight pause in the clamor in my ear, I decided to escape towards the cover of the Bush. Thats sad and should stop. RVN. How Many Vietnam Veterans are AliveToday? It could be a Yard, Don Porier, or a sapper. I went into shock and lost conscienceless. I was hoping for more accurate numbers. (There are other locations and occupations also, but lets not muddy the waters in this paragraph.) How Many Veterans Commit Suicide A Day? - Veteran Warrior Outreach 2 tours I volunteered and my 3rd I re-enlisted. How old is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? (LogOut/ When all was done and the Army was cleaning up the details of the action, they decided to award CIBs to the officers and not to enlisted. Your numbers are way off on the number of Air Force personnel serving in Thailand during the Vietnam war. and US, 7 Valuable Life Lessons My Navy Dad Taught Me, Understanding The Five Branches of The Military, 3 Things That Could Happen To the Military in a Recession. Many Vietnam Vets do not even know about the secret operations from Thailand, now declassified, that probably helped save their rears during some of their combat operations. How many US Army died in Vietnam War? - 2023 Those of us who wear air crew wings probably saved your ass more than once. If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. Systematically, a surveyor from the Plei Do Lim (PDL) flash Out Post (OP) had too physically exchanged the old for the new code-book and radio frequencies for the facility. I understand that they only got about 300,000 of us, but that is a huge, decent number, considering how cynical we Nam vets can be about studies. Last I heard the database indicated that the Median Age of Death of Nam vets was reached at least three or four years ago. Posted in these groups: Vietnam War American History Posted >1 y ago nearly every classmate from the academy served on some basis during the vn war. Why cant you be just a proud Veteran. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Those of us on the battlefield who bled and many died would take issue with your opinion. How Many Vietnam Vets Die Each Day? - Answers According to the American War Library website, it was concluded by the Department of Defense that their best estimate is that between 2,709,918 and 3,173,845 GIs served in Vietnam and its surrounding waters between the years 1954 and 1975. Not sure where we were. The way many of us were treated on returning from that war, but in truth it was only a war for very few of those who served there. Are we counted as two people or have they accounted for us already. we had a crew of about 42, spent weeks at anchor in vung tau or da nang. guy next to me was shoot dead I think that counts. scipione@geneseo.edu, Yes a Vietnam Veteran, but not a Combat Veteran. Their lives should be given importance. am i two Vietnam veterans or one. you tell me. On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". in viet nam, because of the unions, they got more money. I was also at LZ Bayonet. I will never forget the pop pop pop, pop pop of an AK-47 in rapid-fire, but I heard the far off rattle of a M-60 machine-gun through the roar; Why I thought of PFC Wildaboro and his escapade with the machine gun that OTHER sun-drenched afternoon! i am not better, but i am not worse. Are these all American vets. Certainly leaves some doubt about the numbers because why are we including the years from 1954 to when the actual American forces entered hostile missions? The veterans are a very important asset to the country. Nov.62 I got off a PanAm flight at Tan Son Nhut with a US passport, wearing civilian clothes and colorful floral leis around my neck after a stop in Hawaii. Bob ONeal, Lt.Col. I believe you mean the malaria pill was once a week. Alternatively, to transfigure my destiny. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. There he was wearing my dress uniform jacket SSG, CIB, BS three rows of ribbons 8 years service, 10 overseas hash marks and he had 3 very underage teeny boppers girls smoking weed telling them war stories and bragging about his combat exploits. Splitting out the numbers of combat and era vets are separate questions. Defining Combat Veterans, tell us what number you give yourself, we have a controversy here with a candidate for Governor, he claims now that he is a combat veteran, but he told me in his campaign for the House seat he presently holds, that he was NOT a combat veteran. 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. Born in 1953, he joined the US Marine Corps at the age of 15 and was sent to Vietnam where he served as a machine gunner. Combat Vet, Vet on ships that never touched country, military who were passing through and were on airport tarmac? I was thinking that in 10 days I would be on R&R in Taipei, Formosa. I KNOW MY STATS BECAUSE I WAS THE LONGEST SERVING MEMBER (20 YRS) on the New Jersey Agent Orange Commission, including four years as Chairman. Thanks for your responses. 4 Carl Dodd Former Police Officer Author has 18.5K answers and 25.3M answer views 10 mo That is correct, Dow Chemical is responsible for three times as many Viet Nam veteran deaths as the NVA and the VC. Jorge Otero Barreto. Hundreds of Vietnam vets infected by a slow-killing parasite - NBC News when we carried peaches and beer, no problem. as soon as it was ammo or arms, we were machine gunned where ever we went. That's 390 per day. For the are all Vietnam Vetersns.I was stationed. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. The average number of Vietnam War veterans who die each day is 390 deaths. Best answer: How many Vietnam vets die each day? Ive seen start dates for the VN war as 1954, 1959, 1961, 1964 and 1965. Estimating the number of suicides among Vietnam veterans Unconfirmed reports that 50,000 or more Vietnam veterans have committed suicide give the impression that these veterans are at exceedingly high risk of suicide compared with other veterans and nonveterans of the same age. If you served at all, anywhere, during WWII, you are a WWII vet. I submit, we should use the same standard for Vietnam. That makes more sense. Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. You may not care but us guys that stepped foot in Nam AND had bullets flying at us, we care, and we are genuine vietnam Combat Vets. Far as Im concerned, they are all Vietnam Vets and this devisiness should STOP! How many REAL Vietnam vets are alive today? - American War Library But a growing army of strangers is. Really, very easy to say if your were able to sleep at night, so being anonymous means you stand up for those words All members of the team are NOT COMBAT VETERANS, My husbands boots werent on the groundthey were in the air and he was definitely a Combat vet. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year. Good for him! This situation has been an issue for years longer than any of us has been around. next with 1st of 12th cav. I served a second tour and know quite a few Marines that did also. i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. he was wearing his VIETNAM ERA VETERAN cover. Hazardous duty pay was $65 and overseas pay varied by rank $8 to $ 16. No, Wildaboro was gone, and AK-47s and B-40 rockets were sapper armaments Later, I read in a letter that Sp.4 Donnon F. Porier grabbed the M-60 machinegun, risking his life, and ran down the hillside rushing to the ambush site. I do appreciate what they did, from the hero medevacs to those gun ships who flew into madness to help save our asses knowing that mortar rounds fall from above, RPGs & macjine gun rounds were in mass supply with the moniker attached To whom it may concern. Combat veteran means far more than having a CIB. It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. Those who do not remember where in country they were, WHERE NOT THERE.. Or suffering from a complete mental memory disorder. the average combat vet in Nam was 240 days. How about disabled numbers? I can tell you that those who served in Thailand should definitely be considered Vietnam Vets. Finally figured out what was wrong with me, received help but refuse to dwell on the dark demons that quite frankly just did not give a dam for humanity. Nha Trang (TET 68), even when i went out with the airforce on resupply to fire bases. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. More Veterans Die By Suicide Than In Combat. But It's Preventable - WBUR Its possible that the youngest living Vietnam Veteran may be 61 years old. An overwhelming number are buried by family and friends. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? You were in Combat!!! **********************************************************. I certainly dont agree on the 9 million in country. 2.8 million tour because some guys just couldnt get enough! Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. I opted for love! Makes it worse, they were all wheelchair bound. Trying to understand: Does being shot at outside the wire while moving to new location count? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? We hauled cargo to the bases and for a few months I hauled hitest gas to the airbase at DongHa. I shipped to RVN on the USNS Geiger, manned by Merchant Marines, leaving Tacoma, WA on June 30, 1967 and arriving in Vung Tau on July 21, 1967. Divarty (how ironic), and with my DEROS (Date I returned to the States) in the end of May boarding The BIG Bird, flying across the Pond and back to the World! . About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . When we find that number we can start to determine those of us still standing. Was I counted each time or once? The first advisors were sent in country much earlier than 1962. This is a reasonable number but you get very different notions of the death rate when you compare 800,000 to 2.7 million versus 800,000 out of 9.2 million. Peter my husband is now deceased but he was a door gunner with the 191 st AHC Bounty Hunters (gunships), Very good. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Depends on where you were. Sorry for your loss of your loved one. . Guys like me know the difference. I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. I raised my left leg and body up and pushed off that knee with my left hand. My husband was one of those 191st Assault Helicopter Co. Bounty Hunter door gunners. I knew place names like War Zone C, Filijo (rubber Plantation), Iron triangle, Bo Lo woods?, I was wounded on the Laos border near a fire base with the 101st. Vietnam Veterans by State 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. What percentage of Vietnam vets are still alive? we both served and i think that is what distinguishes us from draft dodgers or people that claimed bone spurs or kept getting deferments those are the people i despise. Age 20y 11mo. 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. Has every CIB wearer actually done that? Finally got all the right stuff together; received benefits couple months ago. Various percentages of actual Vietnam Veterans is bothersome. Having served two tours on the ground, as they say, I find it depressing. Who really cares who stepped foot on land. Bill, What do you think? I got the disability benefits at age 79. No reflection on your daily activities, just a friendly piece of information. when we carried ordnance we had to accept 50 cal fire from the shore on the way to saigon. to Ken Drombosky Nebraska Farm Boy, that had to go to County Agent Classes before buying any chemicals. Just like ALL Vets who served DURING WWII are classified as WWll Vets regardless of where they served. of the 1st cav div. wounded evaced) then Am 3/21 196th LIB. I have VSM on my DD215 which deleted the AFEM on my DD214. I am an Era vet, and the closest I got was R&R in Thailand. I was a merchant marine officer on cargo ships, american export lines, for three years, back and forth to viet nam. Overall, the death rate of Vietnam veterans seems to be rather consistent if not better than other people their same age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 2,000,000 were in country but worked supply or support [based on 10% rule]. Combat was what we did. We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. There are still a lot of us left by some miracle! Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. What other conclusions have been made about the percentage of Vietnam veterans who are still alive? Age: 77. USA, (Ret.). But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Everyone knows this. Our service was diminished while there and continues being disrespected by those who lump all Vietnam-Era vets with those whose lives were on the line. Please respond! To not count us is disrespecting us who also answered the call. Agent Orange is impacting that timeline and those serving around the world were not affected by this wonderous life-robbing gift. There was a huge difference between tours of duty also. I did 7 years 66-72 HHC 4/9 Inf and LRRP 25th div, / C 1/327 INF 101st Inf (only 6 mo. i served and i was affected like nearly every other person who spent time there. waited and waited for our slot in port. All Lawyer adds is for 2 percent, do you think that this was a greater risk for Cancer. the merchant marine needed every officer and sailor they could find. Things that they did not tell you. David, please do not compare this to Merchant Seaman in WWII who braved the many packs of Submarines etc as that is how so many died in WWII. Some where along the way after returning home & towards, if not after the end of involvement, the number Id heard/read was 5 million US military served. Its been over 50 years and its time Vietnam Vets stop arching among themselves. So do not throw stones at some who got to lay in the same bunk night after night, just because we slept in a dirty hole night after night. How Many Vietnam Veterans are Alive Today? - CherriesWriter It was apparently based on an estimate that 800,000 Vietnam-era veterans had died by 2000. Gordon, I agree. What Major Is Kent State University Known For? It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. Bob, (Mar 1969-Sep 70) 2/23, 196 LIB & 1/23 MP Co, 11 LIB, AMERICAL DIV. this exclusiveness does no one any credit. 1968, 69. it is the duty of the community to stay behind their warriors to heal them and at the back of them when they come back. Later, and Welcome Home to all Vietnam Veterans!!! As I started to slowly stagger upright towards the opposite side of the road, trying with all my might to gain my balance, I went down hard. It too bad that guys that never fought think for some reason they deserve credit for being in Vietnam when they werent. I made a mistake !!!!! Without fanfare or much recognition. SP5 Mark Kuzinski 86.6K 296 151 53 53 0 Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day. Nor, do they know about what is referred to as the last battle of the Vietnam war, which occurred on 15 May 1975, eight days after the legally defined end date of the Vietnam era; 7 May 1975.